Historic Stone Arch Bridge

The Stone Arch Bridge spans the Mississippi River with twenty-one granite and limestone arches. Built in eighteen eighty-three, it originally carried passenger trains directly into the heart of Minneapolis. James J. Hill, a railroad tycoon, pushed for its construction to bypass the chaotic tangle of tracks crowding the riverfront below. Today, the steam engines are gone, but the heavy masonry remains, anchoring the view of Saint Anthony Falls. A concrete pier on the east side still bears a weathered builder's mark.